Just after warm-ups and just before the meat of the practice begins, one Calgary Hitmen member is selected to face Chris Driedger in a shootout/breakaway situation.

The player scores? The goalies skate.

Driedger denies? The players go for an extra loop.

And up until Wednesday, the team’s No. 1 netminder had been feeling pretty good about himself with very few goals allowed all year.

So, you can guess how happy his teammates were when Calgary Flames players Jiri Hudler, Roman Cervenka, and Anton Babchuk showed up to join the Western Hockey League kids for their icetime.

Taking Driedger down a peg or two, Hudler — who has 409 NHL games under his belt compared to Driedger’s zero — had the Hitmen hooting at the goaltenders’ loser’s lap. This after the 29-year-old former Detroit Red Wing centre showed off his stickhandling skills and then wired a shot to beat the lanky Ottawa Senators draft pick five-hole.

“I read him, too,” Driedger said, chuckling afterwards. “I knew EXACTLY what he was going to do and then he just beat me anyways.

“I saw him coming, but he has a pretty quick release . . . I got a piece of it. But it wasn’t enough.”

Not that he minded being lit up in front of his pals.

Driedger and the Hitmen gladly welcomed the three NHLers who were in need of some structured drills and a good, hard skate.

It was Hudler’s first icetime since returning to Calgary late Tuesday following the sudden death of his father in the Czech Republic before the Flames curtain-dropper last week. The team opted to keep him in the city instead of sending him to Vancouver to meet up with the team Wednesday, and he’ll address the media on Thursday for the first time since his father’s passing.

Cervenka, meanwhile, had been dealing with a blood clot and, upon seeing a specialist at the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, was cleared on Tuesday. And Babchuk, who has been recovering from a shoulder injury, also is trying to return to form on the Flames’ blueline.

“It was cool,” said Hitmen winger Calder Brooks who is also recovering from a shoulder injury and joined Cervenka and Hudler for the practice. “Being on a line with them, that was nice. I just tried to play with them the same way I play with my teammates. Give them the puck when they’re open and shoot the puck if they give it to me.

“Very skilled. Very talented.”

While Brooks was busy pretending not to be star-struck and Driedger was working up a sweat trying to fend off Hudler (“I’d just be sprawling all over the place,” the goalie admitted, chuckling.), Kenton Helgesen was busy trying to keep up with speedy Cervenka.

Helgesen, a decently-sized six-foot-three, 192 pound teenager, faced the 27-year-old KHL phenom during some one-on-one action up the boards. You know the drill: charging forward tries to beat furiously back-pedalling defender and cuts toward the net or is steered out of harm’s way.

During Round 1, Helgesen had speed and kept up to Cervenka, keeping him to the outside. But during Round 2? Helgesen lost his footing and Cervenka beat him cleanly to take a shot.

The Hitmen defenceman figured as much.

“Playing against those NHL guys, when they’re coming at ya one-on-one, they’ll build a lot of speed and their puck skills are really good,” said the 18-year-old seventh-round selection of the Anaheim Ducks last June. “It can be pretty tough.

“You can easily tell their puck skills and their awareness of the puck out there. Their shots, too. It’s a level above most of us, anyway. You can definitely tell they’re NHL players.”

Such is life at the Scotiabank Saddledome — where it’s no big deal if you park your cars next to Jarome Iginla, make small-talk with Mike Cammalleri in the hallways, and, occasionally, get shown up by Hudler and Cervenka in on-ice drills.

“Being in the Saddledome, you get all those little perks like that,” Driedger said. “You get to watch the guys and, sometimes, practise with them.

“It’s really cool.”

ICE CHIPS . . .

Hitmen D Alex Roach was given some good news Tuesday and is allowed to ride the stationary bike. It’s a step in the right direction for the big blueliner who was assisted off the ice during last Friday’s win over Prince George when he took a puck to his throat and had difficulty breathing. His return for the weekend isn’t likely but the team is monitoring his progress . . . Meanwhile, Brooks is inching closer to a return from shoulder surgery and could see game action this weekend . . . Sunday’s home clash against the Brandon Wheat Kings is Calgary’s last home game until Feb. 16 against Victoria. After Sunday, they’ll go on a four-game roadie through Medicine Hat, Swift Current, Saskatoon, and Prince Albert before returning briefly before a giant trip through the U.S. Division . . . But first, the Hitmen (31-12-1-3) head to Lethbridge Friday to play the Hurricanes (7 p.m., Sportsnet 960 The Fan).

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